Registered Agent in Florida: requirements, cost & best options
Florida has no state income tax — but one unforgiving deadline. Miss the May 1 annual report by a day and a flat $400 late fee hits. Here's what a Florida registered agent involves.
By Abdullah Riahi, Founder & Editor · Published June 7, 2026 · Updated October 19, 2026
The exact Florida rules, real costs, and the right registered-agent option for your LLC — checked against the official Florida source.
The Short Answer
- Florida requires every LLC to keep a registered agent with a physical Florida street address (no PO box), and the agent must sign to accept the role.
- You can be your own agent if you live in Florida and have a Florida street address; remote owners use a commercial agent.
- Florida has no state income tax, and forming costs $125 (a $100 filing fee plus a $25 registered-agent designation fee).
- The big one: the annual report is due May 1 ($138.75). Miss it and a flat $400 late fee hits on May 2 — and an unfiled report gets your LLC dissolved in September.
- A service that tracks that deadline (and keeps your address private) is cheap insurance against the $400 penalty.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you sign up through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you — it never changes what we recommend or what you pay. See how we make money.
boltQuick decision for Florida
- chevron_rightUse a professional agent if you work from home, travel, or want your address off the public Sunbiz record — Florida posts your registered agent and managers publicly.
- chevron_rightBe your own agent if you live in Florida, have a Florida street address, are there during business hours, and will sign to accept the role.
- chevron_rightNorthwest fits if privacy and never missing the May 1 annual report — with its unwaivable $400 late fee — matter more than saving ~$125 a year.
Florida Registered Agent & LLC Facts
| Requirement / Metric | Florida Specifics |
|---|---|
| Registered agent required? | Yes — every Florida LLC & corporation |
| Governing statute | Fla. Stat. § 605.0113 (registered agent) and § 605.0114 (changing one) |
| Physical Florida address required? | Yes — a physical Florida street address |
| PO box allowed? | No — a PO box does not satisfy the requirement |
| Can you be your own agent? | Yes, if you're a Florida resident with a Florida street address — and you must sign to accept the role (Fla. Stat. § 605.0113) |
| LLC filing fee | $125 (confirm current) |
| Annual report | Required by May 1 each year ($138.75); a flat $400 late fee applies on May 2, and an unfiled report means dissolution in September |
| Franchise / annual tax | None — Florida has no state income or franchise tax |
| Publication requirement | None |
| Change registered agent fee | $25 — by paper Statement of Change, Form INHS18, under Fla. Stat. § 605.0114. Between 1 January and 1 May you can make the same change on the annual report at no extra charge; after this year's report is filed, an amended annual report does it online for $50. Sunbiz has no standalone online change-agent filing. |
| Official source | Florida Division / Secretary of State |
Fees and rules change — always confirm the current figures on the official Florida source linked above before filing.
Statutory agent, resident agent, registered agent — which does Florida use?
Florida says registered agent (Fla. Stat. § 605.0113). That is the term to use on the filing.
If you have been searching “statutory agent” or “resident agent” for Florida, those are other states' words for the same job: statutory agent is what Arizona says; resident agent is what Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts and Michigan say; agent for service of process is what California, New Jersey, Ohio and South Carolina say. Pennsylvania names no agent at all — it requires a registered office or a Commercial Registered Office Provider. All of them describe the same thing: a real Florida street address where legal papers can be handed to somebody during business hours.
What Florida requires from a registered agent
Like every state, Florida requires every LLC to keep a registered agent at a physical Florida street address (a PO box won't do), staffed during business hours to receive lawsuits and official state mail.
“Each limited liability company … shall designate and continuously maintain in this state: (a) A registered office, which may be the same as its place of business in this state; and (b) A registered agent …”
Can you be your own registered agent in Florida?
Yes, if you're a Florida resident with a Florida street address — and you must sign to accept the role (Fla. Stat. § 605.0113). The catch most pages skip: that address goes on Florida's public record (scraped by data brokers if it's your home), and you must be available during business hours or risk missing a lawsuit — so home-based and remote owners usually use a service. Here's the full DIY trade-off.
thumb_upBeing your own agent — pros
- addNo annual agent fee — you keep the ~$100–$150/year a service charges
- addYou receive service of process and state mail directly
- addWorkable if you keep a staffed Florida street address
infoCons & risks
- removeYour name and Florida street address are public on Sunbiz, alongside your managers
- removeYou must sign to accept the role (Fla. Stat. § 605.0113) and be present during business hours
- removeYou personally track the May 1 report — and Florida's $400 late fee can't be waived
Listing your home as the registered agent address publishes it on Sunbiz and invites service of process at your door. For home-based Florida founders, that's the main reason to use a service.
Registered agent cost in Florida
Forming an LLC in Florida costs $125 up front, and a registered agent runs from about $35 a year with a single-state specialist to $249 with the national brands — Northwest includes the first year free, then $125. Full breakdown, including the DIY $0 route, in cheapest registered agent, and what a registered agent actually costs if you want the pricing mechanics rather than the shortlist. To see Florida's filing and annual fees beside all 50 states, use our LLC cost calculator.
Privacy & the public record in Florida
Florida runs on the public Sunbiz database, and your registered agent's name and Florida street address are listed there for anyone to search — as are your managers or managing members on the annual report. Florida is not a privacy state the way Wyoming or New Mexico are. Florida also requires the agent to sign to accept the appointment (Fla. Stat. § 605.0113), and an LLC can't maintain a lawsuit in Florida until it has a compliant agent on file. A commercial agent keeps your address off Sunbiz and signs automatically.
Out-of-state & non-resident founders: Out-of-state and international owners often choose Florida for its lack of income tax, but you still need a registered agent with a physical Florida street address who signs to accept — which you usually can't be from elsewhere — so a commercial agent is effectively required.
Comparing options? See our Northwest review, Northwest vs LegalZoom, or the budget pick in Northwest vs Bizee.
Best Registered Agent Services in Florida
We weigh providers on real first-year and renewal cost, privacy, upsell pressure, and support — the same way for every state. Here are the three we point Florida founders to.
Northwest
First year free when you form, then a flat ~$125/year. Strong privacy and no upsell funnel.
- doneRegistered agent free for year one
- donePrivacy by Default® — their address, not yours
- doneUS-based support, no upsells
Bizee
Lowest day-one cost — $0 service fee, first RA year free. But it renews above Northwest, so the saving is year one only.
- done$0 formation service fee
- done1st year registered agent free
- doneLifetime compliance alerts
ZenBusiness
$99 intro first year
All-in-one platform with a compliance guarantee. We don't earn a commission from ZenBusiness — here's our honest comparison.
- doneWorry-Free compliance guarantee
- doneAll-in-one formation suite
- doneHigher renewal than our top picks
Pricing reflects each provider's advertised rates as of September 2026 and can change — confirm the current price on the provider's own site before you buy.
Compare your options in Florida
Every realistic way to meet the Florida registered-agent requirement — including doing it yourself.
| Option | Best for | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Be your own agent | Florida residents with a staffed street address who want $0 agent cost |
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| Northwest Registered Agent | Privacy-focused, home-based, or out-of-state Florida owners |
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| Bizee or another formation service | Owners who want the lowest upfront formation cost |
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| Florida attorney or CPA as agent | Complex entities already paying a Florida professional |
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Florida's $400 late fee — the deadline you cannot miss
Florida's annual report is the single most important date for a Florida LLC. It's due May 1 and costs $138.75 on time. But miss it by even one day and a flat $400 late fee is added on May 2 — it's required by law, can't be waived, and isn't prorated, so a $138.75 filing instantly becomes $538.75. Ignore it entirely and Florida administratively dissolves your LLC on the fourth Friday of September (the third Friday is your last day to file before that): the company legally ceases to exist and you lose your liability protection. With no franchise tax and no state income tax in Florida, this one deadline is essentially your entire compliance burden — so put a reminder in April, or use a registered-agent service that tracks it for you.
Florida is genuinely a good fit for:
- doneBusinesses physically operating in Florida
- doneOwners who value having no state income tax
- doneService businesses and snowbirds serving the Florida market
The Florida annual-report calendar (and why May 1 is non-negotiable)
Florida's filing itself is easy — it's the deadline that bites. Here's the yearly lifecycle, from formation on Sunbiz to the flat $400 late fee and administrative dissolution if you miss it.
Florida-specific things to know
Florida runs everything through Sunbiz (the Division of Corporations portal at dos.fl.gov/sunbiz) — formation, annual reports and registered-agent changes all happen there. Two Florida quirks catch first-timers. Your $125 formation fee is really a $100 filing fee plus a separate $25 registered-agent designation fee. And Florida is one of the few states that requires the registered agent to physically sign to accept the appointment on the Articles of Organization — you cannot just name someone without their signature.
The deadline that actually matters is the annual report, due May 1 ($138.75). Florida's late penalty is unusually harsh: a flat $400 fee that cannot be waived — it does not scale with how late you are, so being one day late costs the same $400 as being two months late. Miss it entirely and the state administratively dissolves the LLC on the fourth Friday of September; you can reinstate, but you'll pay the back fees plus a reinstatement fee on top, so it is far cheaper to simply never miss May 1.
On the upside, Florida has no state income tax and no franchise tax, which — combined with a huge market — is why it's a favourite for real-estate and relocation LLCs. One privacy note: Florida's annual report lists your managers or managing members publicly on Sunbiz, so it is not a privacy state the way Wyoming or New Mexico are.
Looking up an existing registered agent in Florida
Every Florida company's registered agent is public record — you can find any LLC's or corporation's agent, with the registered office address, free through the Sunbiz entity search. Search by company name and the record shows the current agent on file.
The Sunbiz search shows the agent and office the state holds now, and the document number you need for any change filing. It is also where an owner serving as their own agent can see their address published.
"Registered agent near me" in Florida — explained
Searched "registered agent near me"? In Florida it's not about being near you — your agent just needs a physical Florida street address, staffed during business hours, on file with the Florida filing office. That's why a national service like Northwest works no matter where in Florida — or which state — you personally live.
How to change your registered agent in Florida
Florida gives you three ways to change your agent, and which one is cheapest depends on the date. The standalone filing is a paper form, INHS18, the Statement of Change, for $25. But between 1 January and 1 May you can make the same change on your annual report, which you owe anyway, and Sunbiz lists no extra charge for it. What most owners search for — a change agent button on Sunbiz — does not exist.
| Form | Form INHS18, Statement of Change of Registered Office or Registered Agent or Both for Limited Liability Company. Paper only; it goes by mail or courier. |
| Fee | $25 on paper, or $55 with a certified copy. On the annual report, nothing beyond the $138.75 report fee. An amended annual report, if this year's is already filed, is $50. |
| Who signs | A member or authorised representative, and the new agent, who signs an acceptance printed on the form. Under § 605.0114 a change without the successor's written acceptance is incomplete. |
| Where it goes | Registration Section, Division of Corporations, P.O. Box 6327, Tallahassee, FL 32314. By courier: The Centre of Tallahassee, 2415 N. Monroe Street, Suite 810, Tallahassee, FL 32303. |
| How long | Online annual reports paid by card post within minutes. Mailed filings are processed in the order received. |
| Statute | § 605.0114 for a change made by the company; § 605.0116 for an agent changing their own name or address; § 605.0115 for resignation; § 605.0213 for the fees. |
Which route to use, by date
- 1 January to 1 May, annual report not yet filed. Change the agent on the annual report. It costs nothing beyond the $138.75 you already owe, posts within minutes, and the new agent signs by typing their name. This is the route almost every guide skips.
- Annual report already filed this year. Mail Form INHS18 for $25. If it has to post today, an amended annual report does the same job online for $50 — twice the price, for speed.
- LLC formed this calendar year. You are not due an annual report until next year, so the online route is closed. Paper form, $25.
- After 1 May with this year's report still unfiled. File it now: the $400 late fee is already running, and it still lets you change the agent in the same filing.
The annual report route is written into the statute, not a Sunbiz convenience: § 605.0114 subsection 4 lets the change be made on the annual report, a reinstatement, or an amendment to the articles.
If your agent resigns
Florida does not fine you for this the way Illinois does. It dissolves you instead, slowly. Under § 605.0115 the agent files a statement of resignation — the agent pays $85 for it, not you — and mails a copy to your mailing address on file. The agency ends on the 31st day after the state files it, or sooner if you file a new agent first.
After that you are without an agent, which is grounds for administrative dissolution under § 605.0714. The state sends a notice of intent and gives you 60 days to fix it. The same section catches a quieter version: if your agent's own name or address changes and nobody files the change within 30 days, that is grounds too.
Filing it online
- Find your document number — the 6- or 12-digit number the state assigned at formation — with the Sunbiz entity search.
- Open the annual report filing on Sunbiz, or the amended annual report if this year's is already in.
- Enter the new agent's name and a Florida street address. No PO box for the registered office; your separate mailing address can be one.
- Have the new agent type their name in the signature block. If the agent is a company, an individual principal of that company signs. Typing it yourself without their permission is forgery under Florida law, not a shortcut.
- Pay by card. The change posts within minutes, and the confirmation goes to the email address on the record.
Filing it by mail or in person
By post, Form INHS18 goes to the Registration Section, Division of Corporations, P.O. Box 6327, Tallahassee, FL 32314, with a $25 check — $55 if you want a certified copy back. You will need the date the LLC was filed in Florida and its document number, and the form asks for the agent and office as they appear on the state's records now, before the change. The current revision is dated February 2014.
What catches people out
- There is no change-agent button on Sunbiz. The online quick-update page covers email, addresses, officer addresses and FEIN. Not the agent. Online, the agent changes only through the annual report or an amended one.
- Paying $25 you did not need to. If it is before 1 May and the annual report is not filed, the change rides along on the report for nothing extra.
- The new agent signs, not you. On the paper form there is an acceptance block; online, they type their name. Doing it on their behalf without permission is forgery under s. 831.06.
- A new LLC cannot use the annual report route. Formed this calendar year means no report is due, so it is the paper form or nothing.
- The amended annual report costs double. $50 against $25 for the paper form. Worth it only when the change has to post today.
- The registered office must be a Florida street address. The mailing address can be a PO box; the agent's office cannot.
- The LLC cannot be its own agent, though a member or other individual connected to it can, provided they are at a Florida street address.
Forms, fees and procedure verified 19 October 2026 against Form INHS18, the Division's LLC fees, its annual report guidance, the annual report instructions and its online update options, with § 605.0114 and § 605.0714 read in full. Full cross-state sequence in how to change your registered agent.
How to start an LLC in Florida
In short: choose your name, appoint a registered agent (the step above), file your formation document with Florida ($125), and get a free EIN from the IRS. Then keep it compliant: Required by May 1 each year ($138.75); a flat $400 late fee applies on May 2, and an unfiled report means dissolution in September. For the full walkthrough see our cheapest way to start an LLC guide.
Which path is right for you in Florida?
verifiedUse Northwest if
- doneYou work from home or want your address off the public Sunbiz record
- doneYou're forming or operating the LLC from outside Florida
- doneYou'd rather not risk Florida's unwaivable $400 late fee on the May 1 report
personBe your own agent if
- checkYou have a Florida street address staffed during business hours
- checkYou're comfortable with your name and address appearing publicly on Sunbiz
- checkYou're confident you'll file the annual report by May 1 every year
compare_arrowsConsider other options if
- checkYour only priority is the lowest upfront formation cost (a budget service like Bizee)
- checkYou already pay a Florida attorney or CPA who can serve as agent
- checkYou want to compare on price first — see our Northwest vs Bizee and Northwest vs ZenBusiness guides
Florida Registered Agent FAQ
Why is Florida's $400 annual-report late fee such a big deal?expand_more
When is the Florida LLC annual report due, and how much is it?expand_more
Does my Florida registered agent have to sign anything?expand_more
What is the Florida $125 LLC formation fee made of?expand_more
What happens if my Florida LLC is administratively dissolved?expand_more
Does Florida have a state income tax?expand_more
Is my information public on Florida's Sunbiz?expand_more
How do I change my Florida registered agent?expand_more
Official Florida sources
Comparing states?
Founders weighing Florida usually shortlist these too — or see every state's fees side by side.
Keep reading
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This page is for general informational purposes and is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Florida fees and rules can change — confirm current details with the official Florida source before filing.